Letters: Voting-pattern data reveal all

Where were reports like this, by Zoltan Hajnal and Jeremy D. Horowitz, before the election? Why is it that something generally known or felt by the public — that the poor and minorities fare better under Democratic presidents — is so difficult for the politicians to comprehend? And why is the information not more widely disseminated on a regular basis, especially to those who think such statistics are "made up"?

Any Democratic candidate could have used sucha report to tremendous advantage and perhaps saved millions of donor dollars. When there is such a great need for cash by so many, how can we still be pouring money down a campaign rat hole?

This information does not represent a distinct moment in time; rather, it represents a long-term behavioral trend that, were it in another area such as healthcare, would represent the onset of a serious condition that merited immediate attention.

Sylvia Dohnal

Arcadia

Do the authors of this study mean Democrats like John F. Kennedy, who said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country"? He reduced taxes, an act that resulted in economic growth.

Or did they mean Democrats like President Obama, whose policies suggest his question would be, "What more can I do for you?" He wants to raise tax rates for high-income earners, and he keeps adding huge sums to our debt — and with continued high unemployment.

Or perhaps they mean the kind of Democrats who control California, with tax and unemployment rates among the country's highest. I suggest that the authors study presidents who favor fewer constraints on free enterprise versus more.